Asian strength and European gaps reshape global education landscape
Asia dominates 2025 PISA rankings as global reading comprehension performance declines across nations.
Event / Society
France Student Performance Decline 2025
OECD releases 2025 PISA assessment showing historic decline in French student achievement across mathematics, reading, and sciences, with France ranking 27th globally in reading. Teacher shortages and performance gaps between student demographics identified as key issues.
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2026-09-08 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 8 Sept, 12:07 UTC
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What happened
Reading comprehension decline most severe among boys from affluent families
A new finding in the 2025 Pisa study is the notable decline in reading comprehension performance among boys from socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds, representing a shift in the patterns of educational performance disparity.
Performance gap between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged French students has narrowed
Between 2015 and 2025, the performance gap between socioeconomically privileged and disadvantaged French students narrowed, primarily because privileged students' scores declined while disadvantaged students' scores remained stable. Mathematics performance fell 38 points among privileged students versus 22 points among disadvantaged students.
Asian countries dominate 2025 Pisa rankings with China leading
Asian nations occupied the top positions in the 2025 Pisa global rankings. A Chinese region comprising Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang ranked first with 535 points, followed by Singapour and Macao. Singapour achieved 535 points, China scored 527 points, and Taïwan placed third with 508 points.
French student scores in mathematics declined 16 points from 2022 to 2025
Mathematics scores for French 15-year-olds fell 16 points between the 2022 and 2025 Pisa assessments, from 474 to 458 points. This represents approximately a three-quarter year of schooling lost, as the OCDE considers 20 points equivalent to one school year.
OCDE publishes 2025 Pisa study showing French student performance at historic low
The OCDE published the 2025 edition of the Pisa study on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, measuring educational performance across 91 countries. The study tested 6,500 French students in 289 schools in 2025, evaluating competencies in mathematics, reading comprehension, and sciences among 15-year-olds.
Teacher shortage reported by 45% of French school principals in 2025
In 2025, 45% of French school principals reported lacking sufficient teaching staff, compared to only 17% in 2015. This increase in reported teacher shortages has become more frequent and represents a significant structural challenge in the French education system.
French science test scores decreased 4 points from 2022 to 2025
Science scores among French students aged 15 declined 4 points between the 2022 and 2025 Pisa assessments, falling to 483 points. This represents a smaller but still notable decline in scientific literacy.
Percentage of high-performing French students in mathematics halved between 2015 and 2025
The proportion of high-performing French students in mathematics fell from 11% in 2015 to 5% in 2025. Similarly, high performers in reading comprehension declined from 13% in 2015 to 5% in 2025, indicating a contraction in the upper end of academic performance.
Global decline in reading comprehension performance across Pisa participating nations
The 2025 Pisa study documented a significant decrease in reading comprehension performance across the 91 participating countries, with nearly all nations showing declining scores. This global trend affects both European and Asian high-performing countries, with only rare exceptions maintaining previous performance levels.
France ranked 27th in overall reading comprehension performance among 91 countries
In the 2025 Pisa assessment, France ranked 27th out of 91 participating countries in reading comprehension. This represents a decline of multiple positions since the previous ranking in 2023, placing France marginally below the OCDE average despite historically being within average performance levels.
French student reading comprehension scores fell 18 points between 2022 and 2025
Reading comprehension performance among French 15-year-olds declined 18 points from 2022 to 2025, dropping to 456 points. This decline is part of a broader trend observed across 91 countries participating in Pisa, where reading comprehension has become a significant concern.
One-third of French students struggle with reading comprehension
The OCDE identified that approximately one-third of French students experience significant difficulties with reading comprehension, particularly when responding to questions requiring complex cognitive processes, critical thinking, concentration, and engagement with lengthy texts of 400 words or more.
Estonia ranks as top European performer in 2025 Pisa assessment
Estonia ranked highest among European countries in the 2025 Pisa study, placing 6th globally in sciences with 527 points and 8th in mathematics with 508 points. Estonia achieved first place among European nations in the overall rankings.
Long-term decline in French student performance from 2012 to 2025
Between 2012 and 2025, French student performance declined substantially across all measured disciplines: science scores fell from 499 to 483 points, reading comprehension dropped from 505 to 456 points, and mathematics declined from 484 to 458 points.
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2 alternative perspectives
French student performance hits historic low across all subjects
French student performance hits historic lows across mathematics, reading, and science since 2022.